Out With A Bang

It’s hard to believe that the semester is over and students are already packing up and moving out.  Reflecting on the success of the year, the Equestrian Center has had one very exciting and rewarding season.  We have exponentially improved our facility and set up a solid foundation for future achievements.  The equestrian team has shown growth and depth in all three of its disciplines.   Our Dressage team won the region and went to Nationals for the first time in its history.  This past weekend, we were able to add a few more successes to this list: IHSA Nationals, and Club Sports Awards.

Hunt Seat riders Kitty Sarosy and Jackie Yeager traveled to Harrisburg Pennsylvania with coaches Heather Pinnick and Lori Cramer to compete individually in the IHSA National competition.

Jackie competed in the Intermediate Fences class.  She was fifth to go and rode Griffindor, provided by Skidmore College.  Jackie earned an impressive score of 83 which held throughout the rest of the class.  Jackie took home the National Champion title in the division.  Congrats to Jackie for this huge accomplishment!

Kitty was up next, competing in the Open Equitation Over Fences.  She rode Dennis, provided by Centenary College and scored a 78, earning 8th place.  Kitty also rode in the Cacchione Cup on Friday.  This competition tested the field of 37 riders both over fences and on the flat.  Kitty drew a horse named Twister, provided by Cazenovia College, for the over fences portion.  She scored an 81, landing her in 8th place.  After the jumping portion of the competition, the top 24 riders were called back to show their skills on the flat.  Kitty rode Parker, provided by Centenary College, and moved up to 4th place.  The following day, the top ten riders showed over a challenging course.  Kitty finished 8th in the nation.  Congratulations!

In addition to the success at Nationals, the team and a few of its members received awards at the annual Club Sports Awards banquet.  The equestrian team earned an  Honorable Mention for Club Sport of the Year.  Kitty Sarosy earned an Honorable Mention for Female Athlete of the Year.  Katie Jordan received the Senior Award and Heather was named Coach of the Year.

With all of these achievements, it is safe to say that despite some challenges during construction, we had a very successful year, and we look forward to everything that next year has in store!  MU…………..ET!

Congrats MUET Dressage

The Dressage team, headed by coaches Lindsey Carmack and Lori Cramer, hopped a flight to Massachusetts this past weekend to compete in the Intercollegiate Dressage Association’s Nationals,  hosted by Mount Holyoke College.  This is the first time the young team has qualified for Nationals in its five year history.  In addition to the team, MUET rider Liesel Pfleger also qualified individually in the Upper Training Level division.

The team finished 8th in the nation and Liesel earned 6th place as an individual.  The team also won the overall sportsmanship award.  This is Lindsey’s first team to coach and she is humbled and proud of each one of her riders.  Congratulations to the Dressage team on a successful year!

Stay tuned for details from the upcoming IHSA Nationals!

MUET Gala

The end of the school year is rapidly approaching.  Students are scurrying to write term papers, and prepping for next week’s final exams.  The stables have been abuzz with students getting a few last rides in before heading to Nationals, or working with outside professionals in our clinics.  With graduation only a few weeks away, the students and coaches took a moment out of their crazy schedules to dress up, reflect on the success of the year, and recognize the seniors during the annual MUET Gala.

This year’s Gala was held at Shriver for the first time in its history.  There was a record number of people in attendance; 175 students, parents, and coaches came to celebrate in this yearly social gathering.  Kicking off the event was a silent auction.  40 items were up for bid including wine, an iPad, an iPod, gift baskets, and clothing.  The auction was a resounding success and a great fundraiser for the team.

A special thanks goes out to Carillon Catering for a wonderful meal of chicken florentine served with garlic mashed potatoes, zucchini, squash and rolls.  Rounding out the meal were two desserts, an Oreo torte and New York style cheesecake.  Yum!

After dinner, president Tom Schoen and Jenna Samuels presented a video showcasing all the highlights of the year.  It was then time to hand out scholarships to some very deserving and dedicated team riders.  The Smokescreen Scholarship, given by the Willoughby family, was awarded to Courtney Johnson and the Truman Scholarship, given by the Jordan family, was awarded to Julia Prus.  The senior member award was presented to Kelly Herdman, while the returning member award was presented to Bre Lukan.  Lastly, the Citro award, presented by Beth, was awarded to Tom Schoen for his journey through riding, his work ethic while working at the barn, and his overall sportsmanship.

Next were speeches by both coaches and seniors.  These speeches gave inspiration, made the room light up in smiles and laughter, and even caused a few tears.  Highlights include Lori and Heather’s “canter left, canter right” demonstration, Lindsey’s humbled speech about how proud she was to take her Dressage riders to Nationals, and Liz Chasky’s “10 Rules for Freshman” which ended in the most important rule of all, “Don’t blink.”

Then it was time for the gifts.  The students gave the coaches a gift basket of items to help refresh and rejuvenate.  Items included candles, soap, a hat, and a Luna Blu gift card.  The seniors also received a gift to honor their involvement over the last few years and help them to remember their time riding for Miami: a photo book with personalized pictures from the last four years.

The festivities continued the next morning as the seniors took a ride on a favorite steed in what is sure to become an annual event.

For even more photos of both the Gala and the senior ride, check out the team’s Shutterfly account: http://muet.shutterfly.com/pictures2012-2012

Dressage Team Nationals Bound

It has been a tight race all year for the top Dressage team in the region with only a few points separating the top teams.  This competition all came down to the last show of the season, hosted at Miami last weekend.

Miami competed two teams on both Saturday and Sunday.  On Saturday, senior Kelly Herdman had a strong showing, earning a 3rd place in her First Level test.  Liesel Pfleger and Jeana-Rae Schaper earned 4th and 6th respectively in the Upper Training.  Senior, Erika Anderson earned 5th and Amy Fleitz captured a second place ribbon in the Lower Training level.  In the Intro, Bre Lukan scored a 69.06% and took home a second place ribbon while Kathi Ropers earned 6th place in her first IDA show.  Miami’s Team A finished Reserve Champion Team for Saturday and Team B earned 6th place overall.

The competition continued to increase in intensity on Sunday.  Miami’s riders knew they were in the running for first place team for the region, but didn’t know just how close they were.  They put their game faces on as they entered the arena.  Kelly Herdman placed 5th riding a First level test.  Liesel Pfleger earned 6th place in the Upper Training, and Jeana-Rae Schaper took home 2nd place with a score of 74.84%, the highest score for any Miami rider throughout the weekend.  In the Lower Training level, senior Caili Pierro earned first place with the score of 71.46% and senior Christine Debrosse earned 7th place.  In the Intro level, Bre Lukan and Emily Swatkowski earned 2nd and 6th respectively.  Miami’s Team A earned Champion Team for the day and Team B finished in 8th place.

Miami would like to give a special thanks to Otterbein University for bringing their horses this weekend.

After an impressive two days of riding, the results were in.  Miami placed first in the region and will therefore be heading to the IDA Nationals for the first time ever!  Congratulations and good luck!

Hunt Seat Riders Compete at Zones

Five Miami riders qualified for the Hunt Seat Zones competition which was held last Saturday at West Virginia University.  These Redhawks demonstrated poise and dedication, representing Miami proudly throughout the day.

Kitty Sarosy was the first Redhawk in the ring, competing in the Individual Open Equitation over Fences division, riding Murph.  The judge brought back the top four riders to compete in a jumping and flat test without their stirrups.  Kitty showcased her hard work during countless practices throughout the year and held on to her first place position. She finished Champion in the Open Fences, earning her ticket to Nationals.  Kelsey Kleinert also competed in the Open Fences division and placed 8th riding Strutt.

Jackie Yeager competed in the second class of the day, Intermediate Equitation over Fences.  She rode a lovely course on  TK.  This was a large class, and Jackie had to wait for each rider to jump the course before finally hearing the results.  She earned Reserve Champion for the division and will also be heading to Nationals.

After the jumping classes, the competition moved outside to the larger outdoor arena for the flat classes.  The first Redhawk to compete on the flat was Jenna Samuels in the Intermediate division.  She rode Rusty, navigating through a ring full of riders and placed 7th in the Zone.  Next up was the Open Flat and Kitty was back in the ring along with Jamie Donovan.  Kitty finished in 3rd place on a horse named Doug and Jamie placed 9th on Chloe.

Miami would like to thank Danielle Paulson and Tom Schoen for their support and help in running the show smoothly.  Tom’s amazing announcing skills were put to the test and Danielle kept the entries and prizes organized.

Our region proved to be one of the strongest at Zones, sending through the highest number of individual riders to Nationals.  In addition, Otterbein University earned Champion Team honors for the Zone.  This is a testament to the strong competition and quality of riding we have seen throughout the year.

Kitty and Jackie will represent Miami at Nationals in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania May 2-4.  In addition to competing in the Open Flat Division, Kitty will also compete in the Cacchione Cup as the high point rider of our division.  Congratulations and good luck!

Full Steam Ahead

The stables are now full of riders, instructors, and horses as spring programming keeps the equestrian center busy as ever.  Several team lessons throughout the day make use of the spacious arena which allows for multiple lessons to run simultaneously.

The jumps are now set in the ring, and the hunt seat team is enjoying feeling the wind through their hair as they canter courses.  They are also preparing to take on Zones this weekend.

The dressage team has been working hard on perfecting tests in the dressage ring.  They are preparing for their final horse show of the season on April 13-14.  This will also be the first show hosted at Miami’s updated facility.

The western team has been working on patterns, preparing for an invitational horse show at the University of Findlay.

In addition to the team, classes through KNH have started back up again.  There are currently two advanced horseback riding classes meeting twice a week for the last sprint of the semester.  KNH will return to full programming in the fall.

Two Redhawks Take On Western Semifinals

March cold and snow didn’t keep MUET western riders Leah Moore and Steven Lakin grounded.  Along with coach, Beth Akers, they boarded a 6:25 a.m. flight  out of the Dayton airport on March 22, bound for the Semifinal round of competition in Syracuse, New York. Three separate Semifinal competitions are held throughout the country during the same weekend in March to narrow the field down to 12 riders in each division.  These riders will compete at Nationals in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Semifinals consist of two days of competition.  On Saturday, each rider competes on the rail and performs a pattern.  The top 8 riders in each division qualify for the finals on Sunday.  They again compete on the rail, followed by a more complex pattern.  The top four move on to Nationals. On Sunday, Steven rode a horse named “Peppy” from Oswego State, qualifying for the finals.  He drew the same horse on Sunday and earned an 8th place in the Open Horsemanship division.  Leah rode equally well.  She drew “DaVinci,” also from Oswego State, on Saturday and qualified for the finals in the Advanced Horsemanship division.  On Sunday, she had a beautiful ride on “Starry,” and earned 6th place.  Steven and Leah’s successes this year put them in the top 24 IHSA riders in their respective divisions.  A huge congratulations to both Leah and Steven on their accomplishments. The MUET hunt seat qualifiers will compete at Zones on April 6th to earn a spot at Nationals.

Redhawks Fly Home

While MU students soaked up the sun, relaxed, and rejuvenated during last week’s spring break, the equestrian staff was hard at work moving in to our new home.  After several trailer loads of tack, jumps, desks, brushes, blankets, buckets, supplies, equipment, and yes, even horses, we are finally moved in.

The red barn doors have been opened, and the aisles fill with hanging halters, lead ropes and coolers.

The tack rooms are filled with saddles, bridles, brush boxes and helmets, and the the scent of leather mixed with saddle soap wafts through the air.

The horses are settling in nicely to their new spacious accommodations.

Last week, the Rec staff toured the new barn.  Check out their Facebook page for the pictures: http://www.facebook.com/MiamiRec

Lessons for the team resume this week and KNH sprint classes begin.  Let’s break in that new ring!

MUET Dressage Team on Fire, Western and Hunt Riders Earn Individual Honors

Its seems like nothing can stop MUET’s dressage team!  They demonstrated yet again this weekend that they are a force to be reckoned with.  They traveled to Midway College in  Kentucky on Saturday, determined to continue their season of success.  The team showed strength in all levels, and team spirit was evident throughout the day with MU riders cheering for their teammates.

Kelly Herdman earned a score of 60 in her First Level test, placing 7th.  In the Upper Training level, Liesel Pfleger placed second with a score of 70.71.  Erika Anderson rode a beautiful Lower Training level test, and with a score of 65.83, and tied for first place.  Bre Lukan earned a score of 68.44 and placed third in the Intro.  MU rider Christine Debrosse rode a Lower Training level test, filling in for Bethany College’s rider.  She placed 7th with a score of 58.54.

Miami’s team came in first overall for the second time in a row.  Their final show of the season will take place at home on April 13-14, giving the Redhawks home field advantage.  Congratulations on a fantastic show!

Sunday marked a big day for Miami hunt seat and western riders who earned enough points during the regular season to qualify for Regionals.  The Regional show was held at Ohio State, with the western riders competing in the morning and the hunt seat riders in the afternoon.  Only the top two riders in each division move on to the western Semifinals and the hunt seat Zone competitions.   This was the largest Regionals for the hunt seat in quite some time with over 80 rides occurring throughout the day.  MUET riders helped keep the show running smoothly by assisting OSU in holding horses and setting jump courses.

All MUET riders rode well throughout the day, demonstrating their dedication and hard work throughout the year.  Western riders Steven Lakin and Leah Moore qualified in the Open and Advanced Horsemanship division respectively.  They will be moving on to ride in the Semifinal competition in Syracuse, New York on March 22-24.  Several hunt seat riders will also continue to the next leg of competition.  Miami swept the Open division both on the flat and over fences.  Kitty Sarosy qualified in both while Kelsey Kleinert qualified over fences and Jamie Donovan qualified on the flat.  In the Intermediate division, Jackie Yeager will be representing MUET at Zones over fences and Jenna Samuels on the flat.  These riders will travel to West Virginia University for the Zone competition on April 6.  Congratulations and good luck!

About the Author

Dear avid Miami equestrian blog reader,

I have been writing these blog posts for the last few weeks, but I don’t think we have officially met.  Allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Jenn Gunther.  I have been working for Miami equestrian for the past five years, but my experience with Miami extends even longer.  I knew that Miami was where I wanted to go to college the day I came for my first visit.  As we came into campus from state route 73, I glanced out the passenger window, took one look at the equestrian center and thought, “yep, I could spend the next four years here.”  While I would like to say that I came to Miami for the amazing programs, great professor, history of academic excellence, even the tasty dining hall food (seriously, I still eat at a dining hall for lunch whenever I can) I know that the real reason has four legs and a tail.

I began riding horses when I was about 10 years old.  I took lessons and went to open shows.  I eventually convinced my parents to let me get a horse when I was 12.  He was an American Paint Horse named Roger.

The best part about my time as a student was riding on the western equestrian team.  I loved the challenge of riding so many different horses and the intensity of taking a brand new horse into the show ring each time.  More than that, I loved the people I met through riding on the team.  I met great coaches, awesome teammates that are still close friends.  I even met the man I would marry (yes, I am officially a Miami merger).

Other than the horses, I was drawn to Miami because it was one of only a few schools that offered a Creative Writing major.  It wasn’t until after I graduated that I had the epiphany of, “Creative Writing?  What the heck do I do with that?” So I waited tables.  One day, I received a phone call from Beth Akers asking if I would like to work for her teaching KNH classes while she was out in the fall for maternity leave.  I had no experience teaching, but I knew this was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up.  I learned that I loved teaching, and even went back to school and earned a Master of Arts in Teaching degree.  What was supposed to be a temporary position turned into a job that I look forward to going to every day.

Thank you for your continued support of Miami equestrian and all the positive comments and encouragement for our program.  We couldn’t do what we do without our friends.